8 in 10 Say Companies Like Facebook or Google should Ensure Information on Their Sites is Accurate

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8 in 10 Say Companies Like Facebook or Google should Ensure Information on Their Sites is Accurate

More than half say large tech companies making society worse 

Toronto, October 4th– In a random sampling of public opinion taken by The Forum Pollamong 1853 Canadian voters, more than half (BTM2: 56%) say large technology companies like Facebook, Google, or others are making society worse, with one-fifth (22%) saying they're making it much worse. 

A third (TOP2: 33%) say they're making society better, but only 1 in 10 (9%) say they're making it much better. 

1 in 10 (11%) say they don't know.

 

Almost two-thirds support stronger laws for large tech companies 

6 in 10 (TOP2: 61%) say they would approve if the laws that governed large technology companies operating in Canada were made stronger, with a third (31%) saying they would approve strongly. 

Only one-fifth (BTM2: 20%) say that they would disapprove, with about 1 in 10 (10%) saying they would disapprove strongly. 

One-fifth (19%) say they don't know. 

 

8 in 10 say large tech companies should be responsible for ensuring the information distributed on their sites is accurate and not fake news 

8 in 10 (TOP2: 81%) say large technology companies should be responsible for ensuring the information distributed on their sites is accurate and not fake news, with almost two-thirds (60%) saying they agree strongly. 

One-sixth (BTM2: 14%) say they disagree, with 1 in 10 (9%) saying they disagree strongly. 

About 1 in 20 (5%) say they don't know. 

 

8 in 10 say large tech companies have an ethical duty to ensure their products do not cause harm 

8 in 10 Canadians (TOP2: 83%) agree that large technology companies like Facebook, Amazon, or Google, have an ethical duty to ensure that their products are not causing harm, with almost two-thirds (61%) saying that they agree strongly. 

Only 1 in 10 (BTM2: 11%) say they disagree, with about 1 in 20 (6%) saying they disagree strongly. 

About 1 in 20 (6%) say they do not know.

 

8 in 10 agree that large technology companies based outside of Canada should be charged taxes on their Canadian ads 

8 in 10 (TOP2: 79%) agree that large technology companies that are based outside of Canada should be charged taxes on ad sales displayed within Canada, with more than half (58%) saying they agree strongly. 

Only 1 in 10 (BOT2: 11%) say they disagree, with about 1 in 20 (6%) saying they disagree strongly. 

About 1 in 10 say they don't know (10%). 

 

“We're living in an age of rapid technological advancement, obviously. But Canadians are starting to see the societal impact of large technology companies negatively,” said Dr. Lorne Bozinoff, President of Forum Research. “Canadians are also feeling as though large technology companies like Google or Facebook need to assume more responsibility for what's being posted on their platforms: whether it's to ensure that information is not fake news,  or that their products aren't causing harm."